The African Development Bank Group has fixed its 2021 Annual Meetings for June 23 to 25.
The meeting will hold virtually.
According to a statement by the regional bank, this year’s theme: “Building Resilient Economies in Post Covid-19 Africa,” will provide a platform for the Bank’s governors to share their experience in addressing the pandemic and the policy measures they are employing to rebuild economies and livelihoods.
“This will be the 56th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank and the 47th Annual Meeting of the African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the Bank Group. The governors of the African Development Bank are from the institution’s 54 African regional and 27 non-regional member countries,” the statement read in part.
“In a year of unprecedented fiscal and social disruption arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, I am delighted that we can convene and assure Governors of the Bank Group’s continued commitment to Africa’s sustainable economic development and social progress,” the statement also quoted the group’s Secretary-General, Prof. Vincent O. Nmehielle, as having said.
This year’s gathering will comprise statutory meetings of the Bank Group’s Boards of Governors, a high-level dialogue and knowledge events.
It added that Ghana’s Minister of Finance and Chairperson of the Boards of Governors, Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, will preside over the meetings.
A key feature of the Meetings will be the Governors’ Dialogue with the Management of the Bank Group, led by its President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina.
The meetings are taking place as Africa attempts to recover from its worst recession in decades.
The continent’s GDP growth is pegged at 3.4 per cent in 2021, after a contraction of 2.1 per cent in 2020, the worst economic recession in 50 years.
Concerns about the grassroots impact of the pandemic on the continent will be high on the agenda. It is estimated that 24.6 million to 30 million Africans could lose their jobs, increasing the total number of people living in extreme poverty to 463 million.
The bank stressed that the Annual Meetings will present a unique opportunity not only to discuss the economies and livelihoods of African countries but also to share solutions for addressing the Covid-19 vaccine shortage, climate change, debt and much more.
Some 3,000 participants are expected to attend the meetings online.
This includes finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers, representatives of civil society groups, heads of international organizations, business leaders from the Bank Group’s member states and journalists.